The New York Medical Aid in Dying Act is in effect as of August 5, 2026, expanding end-of-life options for terminally ill New Yorkers and affirming their right to make informed, compassionate decisions at the end of life. This landmark achievement is the result of more than a decade of advocacy led by Compassion & Choices, alongside allied organizations and hundreds of New Yorkers who shared their stories, raised their voices, and urged lawmakers to act.
The New York State Department of Health released proposed regulations on June 3, 2026, providing guidance on how the law will be administered and establishing procedures for providers and healthcare organizations. Additionally, on July 27, 2026, the Department of Health published further guidance to their website, geared toward patients, families, and caregivers. For official information, visit the New York State Department of Health’s Medical Aid in Dying webpage.
You can see information about the regulations and the forthcoming guidance by visiting the Department’s website by clicking this link.
Send a note of gratitude of your own to your elected officials, Assemblymember Paulin, Senator Hoylman-Sigal, and Governor Kathy Hochul.
Medical aid in dying is for people who are already dying. It is a lawful medical option for qualified adults with a terminal illness, a prognosis of six months or less to live, who can make their own healthcare decisions and have the ability to take the medication themselves.
Medical aid in dying is not suicide or euthanasia. Compassion & Choices supports people seeking information about lawful end-of-life care options in the United States. We do not provide instructions or guidance for ending your life outside supportive medical care.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, in crisis, or thinking about suicide, help is available right now. You are not alone, and your pain deserves care. Call 988, text 988, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at https://988lifeline.org/chat/
By Corinne Carey, New York Campaign Senior Director A June 14 column by Ross Douthat in The New York Times, “Why the Euthanasia Slope Is Slippery,” is built on a mistaken idea. Because it gathered a fair amount of attention, I want to explain why his argument just doesn’t hold up. Douthat argued that “you…
Our team is working around the clock to show her why New Yorkers need this compassionate option. We won’t stop until we make New York the 13th jurisdiction to authorize medical aid in dying.
Esperamos que la Gobernadora Hochul firme la legislación que convierte a Nueva York en el Doceavo estado de Estados Unidos que autoriza ayuda médica para morir
We look forward to Governor Hochul signing the legislation to make New York the 12th state in the US to authorize medical aid in dying.
An excerpt from Corinne Carey, senior campaign director for Compassion & Choices in New York and New Jersey, whose Op-Ed was featured in The Buffalo News
“Senadores, por favor, escuchen a los neoyorquinos que están muriendo y denles el poder para que tomen sus propias decisiones de fin de vida”.
“Senators, please listen to dying New Yorkers and give them the power to make their own end-of-life decisions.”
Special Thanks to Speaker Heastie & Assemblymember Paulin For Their Extraordinary Leadership Leading to Historic Vote
Agradecimiento Especial al Presidente de la Cámara de Representantes Heastie y la Asambleísta Paulin por su Extraordinario Liderazgo que Condujo a una Votación Histórica
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